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What The &%@#; Show Me The Peace

October 10, 2009

by Ahmed
E. Souaiaia

Waking up to the news of President Barack Obama winningthe 2009 Nobel Peace Prizemade me think that we are in
spring--April 1, to be exact. Living in the Midwest, the thought of sleeping
through the cold winters is--for many (including myself)--as good as winning a
prize. But once I realized that we are still in the fall, my second immediate
reaction was, the Nobel Peace Prize? What The &%@#; Show Me The Peace.

Several hours later, I learned that I was not the only one
questioning the merit of such recognition. The President himself reacted to the
event saying, “To be honest, I do not feel I deserve to be in the company of so
many of the transformative figures who have been honored by this prize.” I agree.
But I feel that he does not deserve the prize not because of the company he
will be joining, but for for he simply did not deserve it; not yet at least.

Common sense necessitates that people are recognized for achieving
something that is highly cherished by the entity that is issuing the award; in
this case, that will be peace. The emphasis is on achieving not on the
potential to achieve something. With all due respect, President Obama is yet to
achieve what he promised in many speeches, and certainly he did not achieve peace.

Guantanamo is still open; Iraq war is still raging, Afghan war is
escalating, Palestinian-Israeli peace hope is dissipating, Somalia is still
burning, threats of war with Iran is looming, human rights abuses are
continuing, North Korea is still threatening, Yemeni rebels are still fighting,
and nuclear weapons are in storages, on ships, on rocket launchers, and on
aircraft bombers.

True, President Obama is aware of all these issues and he is
trying to do something about them all. I am hopeful that he will accomplish
many of the goals that will advance the cause for peace; and when he does, I am
sure everyone will not only cheer for him but many will mobilize to nominate
him. But until his speeches and his policies start to have an actual impact on
the ground, awarding him the Prize is premature and undeserved.

There are many people who were/are imprisoned, incarcerated, tortured, and/or killed for the cause of peace; they ought to be recognized first. However,
the track record of this institution in selecting winners shows it to be a
highly politicized and arrogantly elitist institution and as such it tends to
reward, in many instances, the influential and the powerful ones who show an
inclination to speak about issues related to peace; it rarely recognizes those
who actually do the work outside the limelight and transform lives on a daily basis regardless of their
ethnic, religious, and political background. This What The &%@# moment is not directed at President Obama as much as it is directed at the institution--The Norwegian Nobel Committee.